Will an Engine Oil Heater Help Me Start My Generator in the Cold

Question:

I have a large portable gas generator to run my house during power outages. Despite the fact that it is housed in an enclosure behind my house there are exhaust and cooling vents, during extremely cold temps it will usually not start. This seems to be due to cold oil vs. Fuel because the generator has a low oil shut-off if it doesnt detect oil, the engine wont start. Could this handi-heat magnetic heater #KH1155 help my situation?

asked by: Rob

Expert Reply:

I cannot say for certain but when the temperature that your generator is subjected to is cold, the oil inside the generator is also cold which means it is much thicker than at operating temperature. The thicker oil combined with your low oil shut-off is likely the reason as to why the generator will not fire up in the cold. I have done some additional research online and this seems to be the general consensus as well.

The perfect way to combat this issue would indeed be to use the Kat's Heaters Handi-Heat Magnetic Heater part # KH1155. You will not have to worry about the heater overheating your engine oil as the integrated thermostat will shut the heater off if the engine or motor reaches 275 degrees fahrenheit.

The above heater will only work for you if you have a metal oil pan that is not made of aluminum. If your oil pan is not metal or made of aluminum then you will want to use a pad heater like part # KH24100. I have attached a review video of the magnetic heater for you as well.

expert reply by: Conner L